AQW 15242/17-22 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health what discussions he has had with the Minister for Communities concerning people who, on an ongoing basis, are unable to work due to long COVID.
Asked by Paula Bradshaw MLA on 23 February 2021
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 23 February 2021
- Answer due by
- 10 March 2021
- Answered
- 9 March 202114 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
In December 2020 the National Institute for Care and Health Excellence (NICE) published a rapid guideline on managing the long-term effects of Covid-19. This indicates that symptoms after acute Covid-19 are highly variable and wide ranging.
This guideline has in turn informed initial work on development of services for the assessment of people who continue to experience long-term health effects as a result of Covid-19 infection. The Health and Social Care Board have developed an initial proposal which is being considered by my Department.
The issue of support for people who are unable to attend work is a matter for the Department for Communities with eligibility for financial support based on an individual’s level of restriction rather than the diagnosis of a particular condition